Auto-lock broadhead

ABSTRACT

The major deficiency in mechanical broadheads, in general, is that they have an excessive failure rate. Some of them open prematurely upon launching, causing erratic arrow flight. On other models, one blade may open and the others may fail to open, or vice versa. If they do all open, there is no locking device to keep them reliably open. They depend totally on the forward inertia of the arrow to keep them open. One or more blades can collapse upon launching or upon impact. The Auto-Lock Broadhead has incorporated a unique, new, fail-safe, self-locking system to eliminate the possibility of blade failure, either upon launching, or upon impact. It is the only current design of its kind in, existence.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

These documents are a re-submission of application Ser. No. 14/146,366, due to the formalities letter dated Jan. 16, 2014, from USPTO, which is a notification of missing parts. The letter which explains the original deficiencies, will be attached to this re-submission.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

NOT APPLICABLE

BACKGROUND AND CLASSIFICATION INFORMATION FOR APPLICATION Ser. No. 14/146,366

This application pertains to the Invention of the Auto-Lock broadhead, which will come under the U.S.P.T.O. Classification D22, Hunting & Fishing, Sub-section 115, which pertains to Free Flight Projectiles.

The Auto-Lock broadhead is a mechanical arrow head. This device when affixed to an arrow, which is launched from an archery hunting bow, is designed for the purpose of harvesting game animals. The difference between fixed blade broadheads and mechanical broadheads, is that fixed blades are just that. They are constructed with blades that do not move or open.

Mechanical broadheads are designed to flip open their blades to create a much larger wound channel than fixed blades to facilitate a cleaner, quicker dispatching of the prey animal.

All mechanical broadheads are supposed to remain closed during launching, to obtain maximum aerodynamic flight, and open to their full cutting potential upon impact. The Auto-Lock broadhead is unique in its design, in that it is the only broadhead that has a fail-safe, self-locking mechanism, which locks it closed on launching and locks it opened on impact.

The Auto-Lock broadhead is a completely new design regarding mechanical broadheads. The unique self-locking design features enable it to eliminate the current failure rate problems plaguing the mechanical broadhead industry. Specifics of the self-locking system are described in detail in the description section.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION

1.The current mechanical broadhead designs do not have a positive reliability factor.

-   -   A. They have a tendency to open in flight, causing erratic arrow         flight.     -   B. They also have a tendency to allow the blades to collapse on         impact.     -   C. They have no positive locking system to insure reliability.     -   D. They rely totally on the forward inertia of the arrow to         maintain full deployment of the blades.     -   E. The majority of them use an un-reliable rubber band to keep         them closed during launching.

2.The Auto-Lock broadhead has increased the reliability factor exponentially by:

-   -   A. Designing a blade with a locking notch that positively         enables the blades to lock open.     -   B. Providing a thru the ferrule pin, for the blade notches to         lock onto, once fully deployed.     -   C. Incorporating a coil spring that keeps the intrinsically         designed notches in the front of the blade forced forward,         inside the ferrule, during launching, to eliminate the         possibility of the blades pre-maturely opening during launching.

3. The objective of the invention of the Auto-Lock broadhead is to improve the performance, or non-performance of the mechanical broadheads currently available.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS (pdf FILES) OF THE AUTO-LOCK BROADHEAD AND ITS COMPONENTS

DRAWING NO. 1: DWG1SELFLOCKINGpdf: PLAIN SIDE VIEWS FIG. A. & FIG. B., Shows the Auto-Lock in its locked opened, and locked closed state.

-   -   FIG. A. Note the blades being held in the forward closed         position by the coil spring with the forward notch in the blades         locked inside the ferrule.     -   FIG. B. Note the blades locked in the fully deployed, open         position by the notches in the underside of the blade resting on         the pin in the ferrule.

DRAWING NO. 2: DWG2BLADEpdf: PLAIN SIDE VIEW, FIG. A. & B. Is a dimensional drawing of the blade design which shows the curved inner surfaces that produce the cam action required to open the blades, the locking notch which interlocks with the ferrule pin to lock them open, and the two small notches in the front of the blade which slide under the ferrule to lock them closed.

-   -   FIG. C. PLAIN END VIEW of the blade showing blade height and         thickness.

DRAWING NO. 3: DWG3FERRULEpdf: is a dimensional drawing of the aluminum ferrule, or housing, which the other components of the broadhead will be affixed to.

DRAWING NO. 4: DWG4OUTSOURCEDPARTSpdf, This page gives dimensional and material types of the various outsourced or shelf items purchased through various suppliers.

-   -   FIG. A: Dowel pin that is driven into the ferrule, upon which         the blades lock onto, which locks them in the open position.     -   FIG. B: Hex socket screw that attaches blades to the piston     -   FIG. C: Stainless steel spring which surrounds the piston to         cause forward pressure to lock the blades closed inside the         ferrule while in flight.     -   FIG. D: Hardened steel, threaded tip, which screws onto the         leading end of the piston to provide penetration

DRAWING NO. 5: DWG5PISTONpdf: is a dimensional drawing of the piston, to which both blades affix and to which the hardened steel tip is screwed onto.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

The Auto-Lock Broadhead's unique design features has eliminated that part of the equation that refers to the failure rate of other mechanical broadheads.

LOCKING THE BLADES OPENED: The blades, which are attached to the piston and tip assembly, are forced rearward to the fully opened position, by the inertia of the piston being forced rearward, upon impact. The blades are designed with a curved inner surface, which acts as a cam, causing them to open fully, and simultaneously. The blades lock onto a pin installed into the ferrule or main body of the broadhead, when fully deployed. This function prevents them from moving forward and thus having the ability to close or fail to remain opened. (This is a major flaw in all other mechanical broadheads, the ability to remain locked opened)

LOCKING THE BLADES CLOSED: Specially designed notches in the front of the blades lock inside of the aluminum body or ferrule. This is accomplished by the spring tension of 0.09 lbs., which surrounds the piston, forcing it and the blades forward into the locked closed position. This locking closed function, precludes any possibility, of the blades opening prematurely during lunching of the arrow, which would cause the arrow to have erratic flight. (Another major flaw in most other mechanical broadheads, as the majority of them, rely on a rubber band to keep them closed.)

Thus the name Auto-Lock, whereas the unit locks closed and opened. No other current broadhead design incorporates a self-locking system of any kind.

Materials and Manufacturing Processes

The entire list of Components, Materials, and Dimensions are as follows:

One Aluminum body (ferrule): machined from-7075-T6 Aluminum, 0.300″ in diameter, 1.950″ in length. Depicted in drawing #3

One Sliding shaft, (piston), machined from: 7075-T6 Aluminum, 0.195″ in diameter, overall length is 0.984″ Depicted in drawing #5

Two Cutting Blades, stamped from, material: 420 stainless steel (0.036) thickness, length is 1.595″, each being identical to the other. Depicted in drawing #2

One hardened steel, screw on tip, which is threaded onto the leading end of the piston, is machined from 316 steel, hardened to 54C Rockwell. The outside diameter is 0.300″. The total length is 0.690″. The internal thread is 12×28. (outsourced or shelf item)

Remaining hardware components are shelf items fully depicted In drawing #4.

The Manufacturing Processes for the Auto-Lock Broadhead are as Follows

The aluminum parts, (ferrule and piston) are mass produced on a Swiss type, multi spindle, automatic feed, CNC controlled, turret lathe. They are machined from 7075 grade aluminum round stock. They are then anodized to produce a black color and add hardening to the ferule and piston.

The blades are produced by the stamped metal process. The raw material is 420 annealed stainless steel sheet which is die stamped into their finished shape. The blades are then precipitation hardened and then sharpened. The finish color is natural.

The remaining parts are shelf items outsourced from various hardware manufacturers as stated in the parts list.

Total weight of assembled unit: 100 grains, Total deployed cutting surface 1.8″

The enclosed dimensional drawings will give every dimension, curve radius, and diameter of the individual parts of the Auto-Lock broadhead. Every component has an accompanying drawing. 

1. I claim to be the sole inventor of the auto-lock broadhead: I am in sole possession of the AUTO-LOCK design and materials. No other entity has any claim or interest in the AUTO-LOCK BROADHEAD. The technology that is sought to be patented is the unique technology of design of the Auto-Lock's self- locking system, and of the various component parts which enable them, in correlation with each other, to create the first truly locking mechanical broadhead. The parts that interlock with each other, are the first of its kind, which incorporate the AUTO-LOCK intrinsically designed, self-locking system. IN CONCLUSION: The Auto-Lock Broadhead is an important technological improvement to any and all of the mechanical broadheads currently being produced, as none of them have an intrinsically designed, self-locking system. 